Abstract
Whilst acknowledged as an important intercultural competence, there is little academic literature exploring the impact of national culture on student engagement with reflective practice. Exploring the experiences of Postgraduate Nigerian students, this study aims to understand the impact of Nigerian culture on students’ experiences of reflective learning, thus contributing to theory and literature, as well as identifying enhanced approaches to teaching and learning. The study was undertaken jointly by two academic colleagues, one a cultural outsider from the UK who is teaching on the programme, and one a cultural insider of Nigerian origin. Fifteen, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted, and thematic analysis undertaken, with themes emerging around the novelty of formal reflective practice; impact; self awareness and identity; gender; religion; ethnicity; power; class and collectivism. Results show that engagement with formal reflection on action was a new concept for students, which as a primarily individualistic process, presented real challenges to students embedded in collectivist cultures. Issues around power and hierarchy emerged as barriers to criticality and engagement in reflection, along with impacts associated with gender and religion. Whilst students reported initial struggles, as they progressed the impact on their learning and their lives was felt to be significant, with some students reporting transformative learning and deep personal growth, moving beyond superficial levels of learning often reported by home students. This holds implications for both teaching and learning strategies for use in international contexts, as well as highlighting potential for integrating reflective practice into the Nigerian system.
Presenters
Catherine GlaisterSenior Lecturer, Leeds Business School, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Intercultural Competences, Reflective Practice, Self Identity, Culture
